Tamil Nadu opposition leader and former chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, on Wednesday, accused the Stalin-led DMK government of trying to frame him in the sensational Kodanad murder case. The AIADMK, led by Palaniswami, walked out of the assembly and staged a sit-in saying the government is trying to implicate the former chief minister and others in the case by reopening the investigation.
As the assembly session began to debate on the revised budget, Palaniswami, raised the issue, showing a sheet of paper and condemned the government. Speaker M. Appavu refused to allow him to continue, leading to an AIADMK walkout after raising slogans against government. “The government is trying to falsely fix me and others in the AIADMK in the Kodanad murder case. The investigations in the case are over,” Palaniswami told the media, as the AIADMK protested holding placards against the DMK government and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for reopening the case.
Stalin said, "Bringing out the truth in the Kodanadu murder-cum-robbery case was one of the electoral promises of the DMK and it is being done on the orders of the court. There is no political motive or vendetta. There is no need for anyone to express fear over this. This government will establish the rule of law in the Kodanadu case and bring to book the culprits.” He also quoted a Tamil proverb: "Madiyil kanam irundhaaal thaan vazhiyil payam irukkum." (Only those who committed the wrong need to fear).
However, Palaniswami’s lengthy explanation during the press conference outside the assembly hall and the sudden dharna betrayed the nervousness of the former chief minister, pointed out senior journalist and political analyst R. Mani.
Incidentally K.V. Sayan, the prime accused in the Kodanad heist case, appeared before the Nilgiris district superintendent of police Ashish Rawat. He was questioned by Rawat and other police officers for over three hours. Sayan had earlier petitioned the district court that he wanted to furnish “secret information” to police.
Sayan was in custody till July first week and was granted bail by the Madras High Court. After he was granted bail, the police petition the district court for further investigation. The district judge posted the case for orders in August 27, as the special public prosecutor wanted to go through the case in detail. The fresh inquiry by the police has strengthened speculations that the investigations are also proceeding in a way that the political connections are being probed in the case, which has rattled Palanisami and his close associates in the AIADMK.
Ten persons, including Sayan, were booked for breaking into the Kodanad Estate bungalow of former chief minister Jayalalithaa in April 2017, months after Jayalalithaa’s death, and for murdering security guard Om Bahadur. While Sayan and others were under condition bail, one of the accused, Kanagaraj, who was Jayalalithaa’s car driver for a brief period, died mysteriously in a road accident.
Earlier, when Palaniswami was the chief minister, he had informed the assembly that two watches and a paper weight were stolen from Jayalalithaa’s Kodanad residence. However, the serial road accidents in which Jayalalithaa’s former car driver Kanagaraj and Sayan’s family were killed, the mysterious suicide of one of the computer operators in Kodanad estate and the missing of eye witness security guard Krishna Bahadur raised several questions in the murder case.
Meanwhile, AIADMK’s former IT wing member Aspire Swaminathan, on Tuesday, tweeted saying “Three new witnesses, two have accepted to turn approvers, 17 new documents have now surfaced… may be the final nail in the coffin.” Swaminathan recently quit the AIADMK.
Meanwhile Palanisami and Panneerselvam are set to call on governor Banwarilal Purohit at Raj Bhavan on Thursday.